MCELLBI C61 Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Olfactory Receptor, Amygdala, Methanethiol
17 May 2020
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Document Summary
Olfactory sensory perception begins when odorants airborne volatile molecules enter the nasal passages through the streams of air inhaled and exhaled through the nose. Some are caught in the olfactory epithelium, a moist tissue lining the nasal passages. There the molecules may come into contact w the cilia of olfactory receptors, which create a larger surface area for olfactory receptor proteins. Within the nasal epithelium are also stem cells w enough exibility to di erentiate into di erent types of olfactory receptor cells. Allow the receptor cells to be regularly replaced every one to two months. Bene cial because exposure of the receptor cells to potentially toxic substances from the environment results in accumulated cellular damage. Olfactory receptors are g-protein-coupled receptors (gpcrs) + vary widely across vertebrates. A sh may have ~100 di erent olfactory receptor proteins, coded for by 100 genes. Mammals may have ~1000 di erent olfactory gpcrs, coded for by 1000 genes.
